Opera in 2 acts
Libretto: di Salvatore Cammarano
Premier: 30. Sep. 1838, Naples (Napoli), Teatro San Carlo
In recent years not only music festivals but also important opera theatres have turned their attention towards the neglected masterpieces of the lyrical repertoire. Thus also Venice's Teatro La Fenice, in a commendable effort, staged this Pia de' Tolomei by Donizetti, with some of the best singers available today for this type of repertoire. Initial response to this opera, which was performed for the first time in 1837, was ambiguous, so much so that Donizetti re-worked it as many as three times. The version here recorded is that of the critical edition recently published by Ricordi, with the tragic finale originally conceived by the composer. The listener will undoubtedly wonder, once more, at Donizetti's wealth of melodic inspiration, especially when it comes to the character of Pia, wonderfully interpreted, here, by Patrizia Ciofi.
First DVD recording
First recording of the new critical edition
Pia - Patrizia Ciofi
Ghino Degli Armieri - Dario Schmunck
Nello della Pietra - Andrew Schroeder
Rodrigo - Laura Polverelli
Piero - Daniel Borowski
Ubaldo - Francesco Meli
Bice - Clara Polito
Lamberto - Carlo Cigni
Il Carceriere - Luca Favaron |
[ NTSC ]